How to Build a Birdhouse with a Thatched Roof

Rachelle ProulxUpdated July 20, 2017

A whimsical birdhouse made out of a hollowed out log with a thatched roof will be the dream of any bird. Chickadees, wrens, titmice and nuthatches will love this nature-inspired birdhouse. Set the bird house in a tree or on a post and you will soon have feathered friends enjoying your garden. Building a birdhouse with a thatched roof is an easy project that should only take a few hours.

Drill a hole 6 ½ inches from the bottom of the hollow log with a drill fitted with a 1 ¼ inch speed bore attachment for an entrance. Attach the 9-by-11-inch scrap wood to the bottom of the hollow log as the floor with a drill and screws.

Attach the 1-by-6-inch dowel rod to the centre of the 7-inch wood round with a screw driven through the centre of the round and into the bottom end of the dowel rod. The dowel rod will help to support the weight of the roof once the birdhouse is complete.

Drill a hole with the ½-inch speed bore attachment into centre of the 2 ½-inch wood round.

Insert the end of the dowel rod that is opposite to the 7-inch wood round into the centre hole of the 2 ½-inch wood round so that the round sits just even with the tip of the dowel rod.

Screw the 7-inch wood round onto the top of the hollow log so that the dowel rod and the 2 1/2-inch round is pointing up. Fasten the 7-inch round to the log by screwing four screws down through the round around the perimeter of the log.

Cut small reeds or sticks to lengths of 6 inches. Tie the reeds or sticks together with string in 1-inch-wide bundles. Make about six to eight 1-inch-wide bundles for a 6-inch-wide log; depending on the particular material you are using and how it lays, you may need more or less bundles.

Attach the bundles with a hot glue gun by placing glue on both ends of the bundles and standing the bundles so that the tops press on the rim of the 2 ½ inch round and the bottoms press on the rim of the 7-inch round to make a cone. Cut away any excess length at the top of the roof cone if needed.

Apply more hot glue to the tops of the bundles at the roof's pitch.

Place the birdhouse on top of a post and secure it with screws drilled through the base to create a standing birdhouse. Alternately, you can hang the birdhouse in a tree by screwing an eye hook into the top of the dowel rod until it is secure. Thread a string through the eye hook, tie a loop in the string large enough for a tree branch to go through and hang the birdhouse in a tree.

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Proulx, Rachelle. "How to Build a Birdhouse with a Thatched Roof." , http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7394467_build-birdhouse-thatched-roof.html. 13 May 2017.

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About the Author

Rachelle Proulx has been writing since 2000. She co-owns a pet-sitting company, providing her the experience to cover pet care and small business. Proulx is also a flooring specialist who writes about flooring options, preparation, application and maintenance.